


You Can't Fight Fate

by 61wisampa



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Fate & Destiny, Soulmate AU, Soulmate-Identifying Timers, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-07
Updated: 2015-09-07
Packaged: 2018-04-19 13:25:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4748045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/61wisampa/pseuds/61wisampa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Korra and Asami didn't believe in soulmates. That's why on the night when their countdowns were supposed to run out, they lock themselves in their rooms to prove it wasn't true. Unfortunately, going against Fate has consequences.</p><p> </p><p>aka where Korra is too stubborn for common sense and Asami almost sleeps through the most life-changing event of her life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Can't Fight Fate

Korra didn't believe in soulmates.

One would think that as someone who knew a soulmate couple personally, she'd have more faith in it, but as she grew older, her childhood optimism had turned into skeptic reasoning.

Korra knew a lot about soulmates. When she was a kid, she'd listen endlessly to her grandmother's story about how her grandmother and grandfather met. Korra's grandmother, Katara, had met Aang when she was just a kid. She'd tell Korra how unexpectedly they had met, even with the countdown on her wrist. Katara would gleefully tell Korra how she had accidentally pushed Aang into the frozen waters of the South Pole when he surprised her on a visit to the Southern Water Tribe. At the time, Katara had been penguin sledding on the snowy slopes but had lost track of time. She hadn't even noticed how close to zero her countdown was when she sled down the slopes for the last time that day, and had unintentionally collided with Aang, who had separated with his peers to tour on his own, knocking the young monk into the nearby water. At that moment, she felt her wrist tingle and when she checked, her countdown had stopped to zero.

The rest was history, as Katara had so fondly told Korra. Katara and Aang had kept in touch until Katara was old enough to travel with him. They settled in Republic City and started a family there, and it was only when Aang died that Katara moved back to the South.

It was from her that Korra learned about soulmates.

Soulmate marks appear on one's wrist, just above the pulse. The marks were a series of numbers divided by colons that served as a countdown to the time that you would finally meet your soulmate.

But soulmates were also very rare. Not everyone was lucky enough to live the same time as their other half, and those fortunate enough were the only ones who would get the mark.

But going back to Korra; she has had her mark since she was born, a fact that her parents were both surprised and ecstatic about. This meant that somewhere in the world, her soulmate was already alive and at the age of twenty, they would meet.

She had been so excited about it that after several years. She had become impatient. She thought of ways to find her soulmate a little faster—maybe make the countdown jump a few years in the process. And though Katara had told her many times that it wasn't the way how Fate worked, she paid her grandmother's words no heed.

That was why when she first fell in love, she was convinced that _he_ was her soulmate—despite the fact that her countdown continued to... well, _count down_.

Mako was all kinds of cool and every bit handsome. They had met through his brother Bolin whom had been in the same class as her during her second year in college. He was the type of guy who seemed grumpy on the outside but was actually really soft and kind. Maybe it was the contrast that attracted her to him, and not long after, she began to like him. And after a few nudges from Bolin, he admitted he liked her too.

They argued a lot (Bolin used to call it _sexual tension_ ), even before they became an item, but Korra liked to believe that it was love. She had never felt anything like the way she felt about Mako so while they dated, she kept the mark on her wrist hidden, an attempt to forget it was even there.

She didn't need her soulmate to find happiness. Her parents were happily married for more than two decades and they weren't each other's _other half_. So even through the countless times that she and Mako fought, she tried to hold on. Because she loved him and a dumb countdown on her wrist won't change that.

But it did, because Mako discovered it during what had become their last fight.

 _“No wonder we always fought,”_ he had said, _“You have a_ soulmate _.”_

He might not have meant anything ill when he said it, but to Korra, it felt like it was the mark's fault.

That the reason why they couldn't (wouldn't) work was because of her pre-destined soulmate.

It had only been a month since they broke up and the word _soulmate_ still left a bitter taste in her mouth. ' _People didn't need soulmates'_ , she began to tell herself. _'I don't need a soulmate.'_

' _Screw you, destiny. I choose my own future spouse.'_

“Okay, pizza, check. Movies, check. Protective giant white dog on guard,” Korra looked at the big fluff of a dog that was her pet, Naga, lying down on the couch, “Check.”

She moved around her studio type apartment, wearing a white tank top and loose pyjama pants. She started checking if the windows and door were locked, the wifi was off, and that her phone was on airplane mode. She wasn't sure if the soulmate countdown could also mean meeting online or through the phone so she played it safe. After making sure that everything was set, she flopped down next to Naga and checked her wrist, narrowing her eyes at the numbers counting down.

“Less than thirty minutes,” she mumbled to herself.

After becoming a non-believer with the whole _soulmate business,_ Korra wanted to prove that the mark on her wrist was _wrong_ ; that she wouldn't meet her soulmate just because _destiny_ said she would. If one would think about it, the countdown may only be valid because anyone with the mark would be excited at the aspect of meeting their soulmate and would actively search for the other the way she had when she was younger.

But what if the person with the mark made it so that it was impossible to meet their soulmate when the countdown ends?

Korra didn't believe in fate. She believed in shaping her own destiny and dictating your own life, and that included finding the person she would spend the rest of her life with. If she was going to fall in love, it would be in her own terms and not because of this ridiculous so called _destiny._

Smirking to herself, she stretched out, setting her feet on top of the low table in front of her. “Now the only way this soulmate countdown would be real is if my soulmate turned out to be a thief and broke into my window... in which I would most likely punch his face in if he did. Not to mention it's also utterly ridiculous.”

Settling herself comfortably on the couch, she took the remote and played the movie _My Amnesia Girl_ , finding great humour with its opening narration. She grabbed a slice of pizza from the table between her and the TV and mumbled smugly before taking a huge bite.

“Your move, _Fate_.”

–

Asami didn't believe in destiny.

To an engineering student finishing her masters, science was the only thing she believed in. Laws had proof. Experiments had conclusive results. Equations made sense. Everything in this world could be explained by science.

 _Fate_ , however, could not.

Which in turn made her a non-believer to _soulmates_ , even though she has a mark herself.

Asami didn't know a lot about soulmates, except for the things her Mom had told her when she was younger and those she had read. Her parents were soulmates so she knew what the mark meant. She's had hers for as long as she could remember, but her Mom had told her that it had only appeared a few months before her second birthday.

From what she knew, she concluded that it was the day that her soulmate was born.

Which meant her soulmate was supposed to be a year younger than she was, and that she would be twenty-two when they would meet.

Which was supposed to be tonight, in about thirty minutes.

Asami sighed as she checked her wrist for the tenth time that evening. She had locked herself inside her apartment precisely because of this mark, and she was getting a little nervous—there was an uneasy pit forming in her stomach and for a moment she wished she hadn't taken her dinner so early—as she waited for the countdown to turn zero.

According to statistics, only 0.0426% of the population has soulmates, which means only 1 out of nearly five million people had the mark. Each pair that had been recorded had met each other the moment their countdowns had turned zero, and though there were no scientific proof or explanation, many believed in them.

Asami wasn't one of those, and as someone who relied heavily in science and logic, she wanted to learn about it herself. Fortunately, she was one of the few that did have a soulmate mark, giving her the perfect opportunity to test its validity.

So on the night when she was supposed to meet her soulmate, she decided to isolate herself and put herself in a situation where it would be very unlikely for her to meet her soulmate—although she had put on some comfortable pants, one of her black workshop T-shirts and her favourite red cardigan just to be safe.

And all of these for the sake of science (not really).

Maybe she was taking this a little too far, after all, even if she didn't believe in soulmates didn't mean she had removed the idea that it could be true. The concept of meeting your other half did seem very romantic— _if_ it were true—but Asami would forever remain sceptical until she proved it otherwise.

She took another glance at her wrist, pausing from her pacing (wait, _when did she start pacing?_ ) and checked the numbers again.

She sighed, “Still more than twenty-seven minutes.” She mumbled before groaning. “I am _way_ too nervous for this. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't... well, I guess I would've proven that these soulmate countdowns aren't works of destiny any more than soulmates are. This could disprove the existence of soulmates altogether.”

She had thought about this a hundred times, listing off what it would mean for the rest of the world if she didn't meet her soulmate at the designated time. Other than the most extreme scenario where soulmates would be proven false, it would mean that meeting your soulmate was a subjective thing, that only those who actively sought out their other half would find them.

But what would it mean for those who didn't meet their soulmates—if it was even possible? Will the countdown restart? Or will it stop, entailing that you had missed your once in a lifetime chance to meet the person you'd spend the rest of your life with?

It was a big thing to risk, Asami admitted, but if soulmates were so easily torn apart, was it even worth it?

Asami shook her head, trying to rid herself of the thought that only brought her doubts. Soulmates had been a special thing to her when she was younger, being brought up by a soulmate couple herself. She had seen how happy her parents were, how special their relationship had been. She had believed that it was because they were soulmates, like her mother had told her, and for a while, when her child mind had realized what her mark meant, she had pure and utter faith that someday, she would be as happy as her parents.

But then her mother died when she was six.

Her father changed. Gone was the man who had nothing but love and joy for his family. He was replaced by this hollow shell that did nothing but work, not even having the time to comfort to his then six year old daughter who had lost her mother. And the mark on his wrist that had once counted the time until he and her mother met, and had counted the moments they had spent together now froze at the number when her mother died—the same ones etched on her mother's dead wrist.

And to Asami, she didn't just lose her mother that day. She lost her father too.

For a while, the knowledge that someone out there would love her the way her father had loved her mother was her solace. But as she grew up—as she factored the pros and cons of having a soulmate, she decided she didn't want to end up like her parents.

How good was a soulmate if you'll become so dependent on each other that you would lose yourself if your other half dies?

Her grim thoughts was interrupted by her phone ringing, signalling that she received a message. Grabbing the device from the low table in her living room, she opened the message and smiled.

_From: Opal_

_I know you said you'll be conducting your ridiculous soulmate experiment but I'm still wishing you luck on your soulmate! I hope he (or she ;D) is gorgeous enough that you would actually give this destiny thing a chance. And if that happens, I want to tell you that it's completely acceptable to jump at your soulmate on your first meeting_

_Luv ya, Nerd!_

Asami had to giggle at her best friend's words. She collapsed lengthwise on her couch and stared at the ceiling, trying to focus on her real objective. With greater resolve than she had a few minutes ago, she said, “Alright, _Fate_. Bring it.”

–

Korra had consumed half of the pizza when she heard the fire alarm. She jumped to her feet, muting the TV to confirm if it was the real deal and not just her imagination.

“Seriously?” She said in disbelief before checking her wrist for the countdown. “ _Seriously?!_ ”she repeated when she saw that there was five minutes left.

“Is this your brilliant plan, _Fate_? Were you expecting me to run in panic and suddenly fall into the arms of my ' _soulmate'_?” She had made air quotes as she spoke the word, but instead of leaving like she should when a fire alarm was sounded, she flopped back down on her couch with her arms crossed. “Well, jokes on you! I'm not leaving this place until the countdown runs out. It's probably a false alarm anyway...”

Unbeknownst to her, there was already a raging fire next door.

–

Asami blearily woke up to the sound of the fire alarm. She didn't even realize that she had fallen asleep. She shifted in her position and groaned at the loud sound, taking the throw pillow that had been beneath her head to cover her head in an attempt to continue sleeping.

A few seconds later, she abruptly sat up, realizing what the alarm meant.

“Shit,” she murmured under her breath before standing up and hastily grabbing whatever she deemed necessary.

With her phone in hand, she burst out of her apartment and saw that the floor was basically deserted. She wondered how long the fire alarm had been going off and sprinted to the nearest fire exit.

She didn't notice the countdown on her wrist having less than four minutes until it reaches zero.

–

Korra coughed.

There was smoke everywhere, stinging her eyes and making it hard for her to breathe. The doorway out of her apartment was blocked by big chunks of cement and wood from the wall that had collapsed beside it. For a moment, she acknowledged that she really was pretty fucking stupid to _not_ evacuate when the fire alarm had sounded. Even more so because instead of hightailing it out of there when she smelled smoke, she dutifully ignored it until it was thick enough that it seemed like she had started a bonfire inside.

She wasn't completely wrong on that matter though, because when she opened the bathroom—the room which was apparently closest to the original source of fire—it was already ablaze.

She tried to evacuate quickly after seeing that, finally heeding to her dog's warning barks, but she was stopped when something exploded from next door, bringing down the wall—and everything against it—into the doorway and effectively cutting off any of her exits.

“Shi—it,” she cursed, her words being interrupted by a cough. Naga was beside her, pressing against her leg in fear. She frowned as she tried to lessen her smoke intake with her arm. She needed to get Naga out at least. She could find her own way out once Naga's safe.

She inspected the blocked way to the door. Fire had already climbed around the walls of the hall and floor. The ceiling had also collapsed, bringing down the burning wood and with the debris from the wall, created a blazing blockade. She was pretty sure that there was no way she could pass through that without getting several burn in the process but there was a small opening at the upper left of the narrow hall, just enough for Naga to crawl through. One corner of the door had also been chipped, leaving a hole big enough for her to squeeze through.

Korra grabbed the chair nearest to her and set it half a meter from the blockade. She could feel the intense heat even through her tank top but ignored it as she took her top off, leaving her with just a sports bra. She spotted the soda she had been drinking ten minutes ago and grabbed it, pouring the contents onto her shirt. Standing on the chair she had placed, she made a quick work of laying the damp cloth on a piece burning wood that demarcated the small opening that she had spotted and the rest of the burning obstructions. This left the small gap free of any flames and relatively safe for Naga.

“C'mon, Naga,” She coughed again. Stepping down the chair, she scooped Naga into her arms with a grunt and stepped back onto the chair. “Out you go.” She extended her arms so the dog could reach the opening, but Naga only whined unhappily in response, instead fumbling back to her and licking her face. She pushed the dog's snout gently away. “Don't worry, girl, it's safe. You can— _cough—_ jump from that high, right?”

The dog's response was to curl herself closer to Korra, as if refusing to be let go. “No, Naga, listen to me.” Korra began with a stern voice, coughing a few times as she lightly scratching the back of the dog's ear as she carried her. “You need to get out and find help. Okay? I'm counting on you.”

Naga had always been a smart dog, and by licking Korra's cheek, she seemed to have understood. So when Korra brought her closer to the gap again, Naga didn't hesitate to slip through it and onto the other side.

“Yes!” she managed to celebrate for a moment before her coughs resumed. By now the smoke had gotten thicker than before and Korra knew she had to get out.

She grabbed the chair she had stood on and slammed it against the fiery blockade, trying to make it budge. But all it did was bring down more of the burning ceiling and adding onto the original pile. She coughed several more times as she stepped back from the growing fire, only to find that the fire from the bathroom had already reached a few meters behind her.

Stuck between two growing flames, she leaned against the wall of the only part of the hallway that remained free of the fire. She slid down to the floor, hacking from all the smoke she had inhaled. At least there was less smoke when she sat. Her vision was already getting blurry and she was beginning to feel a little nauseous.

This was what she got for going against destiny. She had wanted to prove that the countdown on her wrist was wrong. She was just too stubborn and prideful to let the matter go, and now, she would be able to prove that she was right and that she won't meet her soulmate at the designated moment because she'd be dead!

“Okay, Fate. You win. You can give me that soulmate now, preferably a sexy fireman who would sweep me off my feet and get me out of this damned furnace.” She rasped out, letting out another series of coughs.

_'Korra, you are such an idiot.'_

Less than a minute left.

–

Asami was beginning to regret getting an apartment on the top floor. Sure, there were only eight floors and there was an elevator but on emergency situations like these, it takes a really long time to evacuate when you have to use the stairs.

She was on her fifth (or fourth?) floor down when she heard a loud barking coming from the hallway. She immediately stepped out of the stairwell, looking for the dog that had probably been left during the evacuation. She may not be very good with animals, but she would never want harm to befall on them.

What she saw on the hallway was a big white dog covered in soot, running back and forth along the hallway. She also noticed the fire and smoke coming out from the room where the dog seemed to stay close to. She jogged towards the dog and when it caught sight of her, it immediately ran towards her.

She kneeled down in hopes to calming the animal down before she led it out of the building, but instead of stopping in front of her, it ran around her, barking all the while.

“What? What's wrong?” Asami was never good at interpreting animal body language, but when the white dog ran towards the fire, paused to turn to her and barked, and then ran back towards its destination, she deduced that maybe it wanted her to follow.

When they got to the burning apartment, she could hear a series of coughs on the other side of the burning door. Glancing at the dog who had stopped beside her, she realized that its owner must still be inside.

Common sense told her she should just wait for the firefighters to get there, especially since fire had been a source of her panic attacks when she was younger due to her mom dying in a house fire. But there was something inside her that tugged her into action.

No. She wouldn't let another person die in a _fucking_ house fire. Not when she can do something this time.

Glancing around, she spotted the emergency axe and a fire extinguisher. She used a random plant pot in front of a different apartment door to smash the glass, before grabbing both things.

She went back to the burning apartment and held the axe with both hands. But before swinging, she shouted. “Whoever you are inside there, stand back! I'm going to break the door and it will make the fire stronger for a moment, so try not to get burned!”

And with that warning, the swung.

Zero.

–

Korra heard the voice and quickly scooted as far away as she could. Not a second later, her door broke in half—(it must've been more damaged than she thought)—revealing a beautiful black haired girl standing on the doorway with a huge ass axe in her hands.

Korra jumped when the flames abruptly got bigger once the door was out, and her saviour didn't waste time grabbed the fire extinguisher beside her, spraying the burning pile with white foam.

She was pretty sure she inhaled a little too much smoke when the girl seemed to be moving in slow motion, her black locks bouncing almost delicately as she whacked on the pile of debris. Korra just stared with bleary eyes as the beautiful girl finally reached her, the girl bringing an arm over her shoulder, and grabbing Korra's waist.

Korra blurringly registered as the girl dragged her outside her burning apartment and set her down against the wall, far from the fire. She began hacking again once she was free from the smoke, her lungs trying to inhale as much fresh air as it could. She blinked her eyes clear when she felt a wet tongue licking her cheek, and she coughed out a laugh as she grabbed Naga's head.

“'M fine, g-girl.” She croaked out to her loyal companion as she rubbed behind the dog's ears. Naga merely whined and continued to lick her face.

“She's a very smart dog.” The beautiful girl kneeling in front of her and looking her over said. “If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have known you were inside.”

Korra grinned a little at this. “Yeah... she's— _cough—_ the best.” She managed to say before another fit of coughs took over.

The beautiful girl unhesitatingly rubbed her back to soothe her. “Easy. You shouldn't talk to much yet. Your body's still trying to replenish the oxygen you need and remove all the carbon monoxide. We can get an oxygen inhaler once the firefighters arrive.” Her delicate eyebrows scrunched up into a slight frown. “Although I'm pretty curious as to why no one helped you before I did if you were trapped there. I mean, the fire couldn't have been that bad when the alarm began, right? Plus, it's a hard to miss your dog when she's running around, barking along the corridor.”

Korra shook her head, swallowing as she felt her throat itch for another coughing fit. “Fire... not... from me...”

The girl's eyebrow rose as she considered Korra's reply—whether it's because Korra had ignored what she had said about not talking or Korra's own reply, Korra wasn't sure. “So the fire didn't start from your apartment but from the one next to yours?” she asked, and Korra nodded. “I guess that explains why no one came to get you. I'm not sure if it's good or bad luck that we both almost slept through the fire alarm.”

“Uh...” Korra managed to trail her words long enough before she hacked again. Looking at the girl in front of her, she knew that it wasn't unnoticed. She began to smile sheepishly as she croaked out, “W-wasn't... asleep... I was...” she trailed off again, suddenly remembering what she was doing that made her ignore the fire alarm in the first place.

Her head snapped down as she looked at her wrist. Her eyes widened when she saw that instead of counting down, the mark on her wrist was now counting _up_.

There was one thought in Korra's mind.

_'No fucking way...'_

–

When the pretty caramel skinned woman looked at her wrist and froze (so comically that it was actually adorable), Asami couldn't help but remember what she had been doing before the fire alarm.

She had been waiting to meet (or _not_ meet) her soulmate.

This thought, of course, made her glance at her own soulmate mark, only to freeze as comically as the pretty woman.

Her soulmate mark was now counting _up_ , not down.

Which meant she had already met her soulmate.

Her mind in a whirlwind, Asami recalled, when she was a kid, that her mother had told her that once you met your soulmate, it will count up until you or your other half died. It was like a record to keep track of how long two people had been bonded (had known each other) soulmates.

Asami could also remembered the numbers on her father, the same ones on her mother.

It made her shiver to think that her mark could've stopped a mere minute after it started counting up if she hadn't been as fast, or if she had been a little indecisive. She was even more thankful that she had slept through the beginning of the fir alarm, or else she wouldn't have been able to save this girl—

_Wait._

Asami looked up at the girl and saw her looking back with equal expression of surprise.

This person that she had just saved... was her soulmate?

Her heart seemed to skip a beat as she began to get lost in her soulmate's bright blue orbs. She felt like she could drown in those pools and just stare at those eyes for days.

 _Welp_. Asami, even with her thoughts all jumbled up into a mess, concluded that as the result of her experiment, soulmate marks really were absolute.

–

 _'She's looking at me. SHE'S LOOKING AT ME.'_ Korra's panicked thoughts raged as she stared back at the beautiful girl's mesmerizing peridot eyes. _'This insanely beautiful girl is my friggin' soulmate!!'_

Korra's soulmate was no sexy fireman, but she thought she could work with drop-dead gorgeous.

_'Sweet Ravaa, I'm sorry for ever doubting this soulmates thing.'_

But as they sat there staring at each other, Korra felt Naga lay her head on her lap and realized that she had yet to say anything since finding out they were soulmates. It seemed like this beautiful girl was just as shocked as she was, judging from her face. Korra knew she should say something. But her throat was itching again and everything happened so fast—

“H-hi,” Korra would've hit herself for the most pathetic first greeting to her soulmate. Although she guessed that wouldn't be accurate seeing as they actually met when her soulmate was saving her from her own stupidity.

Korra's internal self-scolding was halted when Ms. Soulmate offered a ( _beautiful_ ) smile that left her breathless—which had nothing to do with her still oxygen deprived state—and responded, “Hi back.”

Korra couldn't help but grin back. “K-Korra,” she managed to say before coughing again.

Ms. Soulmate's smile quickly dissolved to worried as she once again rubbed Korra's back. “Easy now... I told you not to speak too much. Just concentrate on breathing, okay?” Korra followed her soulmate's instructions and took several deep breaths, the warm hand on her back soothing her in some unexplainable way. “My name's Asami, by the way. It's nice to meet you... though I wish it would've been in some other circumstance.”

She merely sent Asami— _Asami—_ a sheepish grin, adhering to the no speaking rule for now. She wanted to say the name out loud, test it on her tongue, but that would have to wait until she could actually speak without coughing her lungs out.

“You two!” They both turned to see two firemen hurriedly approaching them from the stairs. “Are you both alright?” the man said as kneeled beside them.

“I'm fine. Korra here, on the other hand,” Asami replied. Meanwhile, Korra's mind halted when she heard her name pass through Asami's lips. “Inhaled a lot of smoke. She hasn't stopped coughing since I got her out.”

Her mind still savouring the sound of her name in Asami's voice, Korra barely registered the fireman say to her, “Seems like you've got some nasty burns too. We already called the paramedics. They should be here any minute now. Here, I'll help you two downstairs. The rest of the guys will deal with the fire.”

“Wait,” The fireman moved to pick Korra up, but Asami stopped him with a hand. She shrugged off her cardigan and put it over Korra's shoulders, “You uh... I thought you might not want to go out in that.”

Korra looked down at herself in confusion and realized she was only wearing her sports bra. She felt her cheeks heat up, but managed to stutter out a “Th-thank you.”

Asami nodded, making sure she was comfortable before the fireman hefted her into his arms.

–

Due to the life-threatening situation where they met (Korra's unbelievably captivating eyes), Asami didn't notice until a few seconds ago that Korra was basically half naked. But that wasn't really the biggest problem. Most times, Asami wouldn't even glance twice if she saw someone attractive, but Korra, by all definition, was gorgeous.

Korra was ripped—like _I-have-a-six-pack-ripped_. But her feminine curves were only accentuated by her muscles and Asami couldn't help but gawk.

Which was why before the fireman could carry Korra, she offered her cardigan, not just because she didn't want her soulmate to go outside naked but also to keep herself in check and not jump at her soulmate when they had only met a few minutes ago.

_'It's completely acceptable to jump at your soulmate on your first meeting!'_

Asami cursed inwardly as her bestfriend's message rang inside her head in that annoying all-knowing tone Opal always used whenever the girl teased her.

She glanced at her wrist again, watching the numbers count up and finally getting it in her head that this was real. She felt a sudden lightness in her chest, like she had found something she didn't she had been looking ( _as cheesy as that sounded_ ). She looked at Korra just a step in front of her as the fireman assisted her (she had stubbornly refused to be carried and said she could walk on her own), and as if feeling her gaze, Korra craned her head and let out that same lopsided smile that had made her heart skip earlier.

Asami smiled back at her and as they finally got out of the building, she thought.

Maybe having a soulmate wasn't so bad after all.

–

Asami had gone with Korra to the hospital, insisting that she felt responsible of Korra after she had saved her from the fire. Korra silently wondered if Asami was worried about her since they were soulmates and the thought brought heat rushing to her face again. Asami's burns were minor and were fixed up easily by the paramedics, but Korra's condition had seemed more serious than they thought so she had been sent to the hospital to be safe—with Asami riding the ambulance with her. Naga, on the other hand, was taken in for the night by the nice old lady—Hama who lived two floors down—whom Korra often helped with groceries and other heavy tasks.

Korra had kept Asami's cardigan for as long as she could, finding comfort with it even though it reeked of smoke. Her burns were treated and bandaged fairly quickly, and she was given an oxygen tank and a mask that she had to wear the whole night. The doctor that checked her up wanted her to spend the night in the hospital, much to her dismay, and was given a set of hospital garb to change into. She unwillingly had to part with the cardigan and returned it to Asami. But upon realizing that her soulmate was only wearing a T-shirt and pants in this chilly night, she felt a little guilty for not returning it sooner. Asami merely smiled and insisted she was fine even though you could see the goosebumps on her arms.

“You know you don't have to stay,” Korra told her after the nurse left. She wore a mask connected to the oxygen tank while Asami settled down on a chair beside her bed. Her health insurance had thankfully covered her bills which got her a nice private room for the night. “I mean, I know we're... uh...” she rubbed the back of her neck as she felt her cheeks heat up, not completely accustomed to using the word in relation to the actual person—or anyone really, “S-soulmates and all, but we still only just met.” Korra hoped it didn't sound like she was pushing her soulmate away as she spoke. “Plus, you must be tired. I know the fireman said no one's allowed in the building until morning, but I'm sure you have a couple of friends where you can crash with for the night.”

Asami just shook her head and smiled. “It's fine, really. I've already told my bestfriend where I am so no one's panicking, at least.” Korra smirked a little at her joke. “And like you said, we're soulmates. I'm not sure if it's entirely because of that but I want to make sure you're okay. I can at least stay with you until one of your family or friends come over.”

“Oh...” Now that she mentioned it... “Right, I should probably tell them what happened huh?” Korra sent her an embarrassed grin.

For a moment, Asami looked at her with a surprised expression before giggling. “You haven't told anyone?”

Somehow, Korra felt really proud that she made the other girl laugh. “Well... I did forget my phone in my apartment. And I'm pretty sure it's just melted plastic now...”

“Oh...” her smile faded when she began to consider what Korra had said. “Do you have a family who lives here, or some friends? You're definitely going to need some place to stay, with your flat getting burned and all...”

Korra shook her head in reply. “No family in the vicinity, no. I guess I could call my friends... or if not, I could find a cheap place to stay in while I look for a new apartment.” In the end, she just shrugged, “Oh well. I'll deal with it in the morning.”

Asami lifted an eyebrow at her, “You sound very carefree for someone who just lost her home and all her belongings in one night.”

“The shock probably just got delayed because I met my soulmate the same night.” Asami turned away as her cheeks turned a little red, and Korra—for what seemed like the millionth time that night—blush as she realized what she just said. “I-I mean... I'm pretty sure I've got a couple of clothes at my buddy's house. Besides, I've got savings and insurance for the apartment too so I'm not completely broke yet.”

“Okay then,” Asami self-consciously tucked a hair behind her ear before saying, “Should you call your friends now so you can let them know? Want to use my phone? Or...”

It was Korra's turn to raise an eyebrow when Asami hesitated. “Or...?”

“Or... you could stay in my apartment?” Asami asked, and even though she seemed unsure, her gaze never broke from Korra's. “You know, get to know each other more and try to gloss over this unconventional meeting with a better first meeting?”

Korra laughed at her words, and grinned as she looked back at her soulmate. “I'd like that.” She answered, “Although, I don't think you need one since you literally saved my life. I don't think anyone can beat a first meeting as awesome as that.”

**Author's Note:**

> FYI Asami would've found a reason to get Korra to move in with her (or spend as many nights in her apartment) even without Korra's apartment getting burned
> 
> My first contribution to the Korrasami fandom and I didn't know how to end it XD
> 
> This was an idea of a friend of mine after bugging her with never-ending soulmate AUs. Also, I thank Cun-sama for the additional ideas :)
> 
> Note: Edited some parts. not entirely necessary to read again


End file.
